Doctor Whooves and the Time of Dragons

DOCTOR WHOOVES

AND THE TIME OF DRAGONS

A story by

Dutch Tilt

1

AN UNEQUESTRIAN FILLY

There was nothing the citizens of Ponyville loved more than a celebration.

Theirs was a happy and colourful life, and there was always something of great value for them to commemorate, honour, or observe. If one were to check one’s Equestrian standard calendar, the next closest occasion was Hearts and Hooves Day. It was a vibrant time of the year, when ponies all over the land went in search of somepony special to share the day with. Musicians played ballads dedicated to new romances and bonds that had survived the test of passing time, merchants and designers flaunted wares patterned with hearts and fluffy clouds, and fresh young flowers sprouted up in every orchard, grove and garden so as to embody this season of new beginnings.

This Hearts and Hooves day was to be an important landmark for Lovelace. It was exactly one year to the day since she had moved back to Ponyville from Canterlot. Her decision had been based purely on sentiment. Canterlot and Manehattan were the places where all the big success stories supposedly took place, not peaceable little frontier settlements like Ponyville, but homesickness had pulled steadily at her until she had finally given into her desires and caught the first train out of the capital. Her mother had been less than ecstatic, citing the host of unsavoury stories that originated from that region. She was a few years too old for grounding now, and so there she was, living in pleasant (if somewhat small) lodgings not far from Sugar Cube Corner. Ponyville was largely unchanged from the last time she was there, save perhaps the enormous, crystalline tower that had replaced the old library. She always told herself it would be a small respite, a chance to get back in touch with her roots before she went back to the city.

One year later, she had started to think this was not the case.

During the week coming up to the big day, she had been sharing a workspace at the local florist, working with the girls there to create Hearts and Hooves Day favours that combined her own practised skills in the art of paper-craft (as testified by the mark on her flank, two brilliant red hearts affixed together by a drawing pin) with the most fragrant selection of flowers in the region, straight from some of the finest gardens around. Flowers tended to agitate Lovelace. They made her sneeze so she was forced to wear a paper mask over her nose. Not that she minded, because she liked working in the shop and wished it could happen more often. Daisy and Lily Valley were chatty and enthusiastic. They made delightful company. Even better, she thought privately to avoid hurting anypony’s feelings, was a young filly named Roseluck. Only a few years out of school, her colleagues often asked after her advice in spite of her being the youngest, and she was always willing to give it. Everpony said that Roseluck was clever, talkative and cheerful.

You would not think it if you were to see her on one particularly fateful morning. It was ten o’clock, almost two hours past opening time, when the bell above the door rang. Roseluck came in, smiling as usual, but her eyes indicated something was very amiss. Lovelace dismissed the spell she had been using to construct her current order and walked over to her. She tugged down her mask, reckoning she could spare a few moments before she started sneezing herself inside out.

“Rose! There you are!” she said. “I was starting to get worried. What’s wrong, you look as though you’ve been crying.”

“Oh! Nothing! Nothing’s wrong,” she replied. “Just a bit of an argument, that’s all. It’s my grandfather, you see, he’s very stubborn.”

“Well, what were you arguing about?” Lovelace asked. “That is, if I’m not being too nosy.”

“I’m sorry, I’ve already said too much, and I wouldn’t want to make it your problem as well.”

“Don’t be silly, Rose,” Lovelace insisted, and put a comforting hoof against her shoulder. “I’m your friend. You can tell me anything and it’ll remain in the strictest confidence. I promise.”

“You’re very kind, but it’s all right,” said Roseluck. She smiled wider. “Besides, I’m late enough as it is. If we stand about like this we’ll fall behind. Missus Donkey ordered something for her husband, didn’t she? I saw her leaving as I was coming up the road.”

“Oh! Well, yeah, that’s true,” said Lovelace.

“They’re a lovely couple,” Roseluck said as she sauntered past towards the table to inspect the list of orders. “You know, I’ve never seen a Hearts and Hooves Day before. I can’t wait to see all their happy faces when they come by to pick these up.”

Lovelace shot her a look. “Never?” she asked, returning to the worktable. “Dear, the holiday’s celebrated all over Equestria. Where in the world have you been living if you haven’t seen one before?”

Roseluck turned up the radio. A melodic rock ’n’ roll tune rang out through the shop. There was no singing, just very loud instruments that made Lovelace’s sensitive ears twitch.

“Aren’t these guys great?” Roseluck asked, ignoring the previous question. “Time Turner and the Commonfoals – they’ve gone from nineteen to two!”

“Yeah, I can hear why,” said Lovelace with a grimace. Truth be told, she preferred something a bit softer, but that was not the most important thing. She had caught the strange admission quite clearly. Never seen a Hearts and Hooves Day before, at her age? That was simply impossible. She tried to pursue the matter further, but her voice was lost in a sudden onslaught of violent sternutation. She whipped the mask back up over her nose and leaned against the table to steady herself. Roseluck was already arranging flowers for a presentation piece, and Lovelace could tell there was a lot more going on than her friend was willing to relate. She had been correct, though. This was a busy week. It would be better to press her on it when they were not swamped.

She took her lunchbreak at the café just down the street, seating herself at one of the tables outside where she proceeded to brood quietly over a crêpe myrtle. She detected movement opposite her and glanced up. A dark blue pegasus pony with a spiky mane and eyes the colour of steel was making himself comfortable. He set down a wooden tray with a large slice of rainbow-coloured cake and a bit too much creamy icing, and two fizzy orange drinks with straws. His name was Star Hunter, and the two had known each other since foalhood.

“Hey there,” he said. “Why the long face?”

“Har-har,” she responded flatly.

“Right, ask a silly question,” he said, chuckling.

She looked down, her face turning even pinker than usual. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled.

“No worries. I’ll forgive you this time,” he said, and pushed one of the drinks towards her. “That one’s yours, by the way.”

“Thanks, Star,” she said. She took a grateful sip. “It’s one of the girls I’m working with. Roseluck.”

“Oh, yeah. Real oddball, that one,” he said, and nodded sagely. “Let me guess, you don’t know what to make of her?”

“Sort of,” she replied.

“You ask me, I think she lets out a bit of her knowledge at a time, just to avoid embarrassing us,” he said. “The other week when Tailey’s Comet passed over, I took a few ponies from town up to watch it. I told them it appeared above Ponyville once every seventy-five years, and that it was first observed by…” He caught himself. “Well, I gave them the breakdown, and you know what she did? She corrected me! At first I thought she was just being flippant, but I double-checked, and you know she was absolutely correct. I talked to her about it after and asked if she was interested in studying astronomy with me.”

“How did that go?”

“She seemed pretty into it until I mentioned working with her at her home,” he went on. “She said her grandfather didn’t like strangers. Pretty lame excuse, him being a doctor and all. Anyway, it was late so I decided to follow her from the air, just to make sure she got home safe, and…well, after that’s when things got really strange.”

“How do you mean?”

“I tailed her all the way to the edge of town, and I saw her go into this old shack. There was this big blue door on the front, but I tell you the building was barely the size of a wardrobe, and it looked as though it hadn’t been used in decades! Bits of it were falling off, the grass was all dead or overgrown—”

“But she’s always bringing flowers in from her own garden,” Lovelace interrupted in disbelief. “She grows them herself, she told me so!”

“Well, I didn’t see any garden,” replied Star Hunter, “so either she’s lying, or something else is going on.”

“Maybe she knew you were following her and she just pulled a fast one?” Lovelace suggested.

“I don’t think so,” said Star, shaking his head. “And I’m not the only one who’s been shown up by her. Remember that history seminar Princess Twilight was making a big deal of, the one she held at the castle? Same thing happened there – and again for Professor Neigh, or that’s what I heard. She caught them on what seemed like minor facts, but she was right every time. The girl’s a genius, yet here she is working in a flower shop.”

“What’s wrong with that?” asked Lovelace.

“Oh! Nothing at all!” Star said, grinning sheepishly. “I just meant somepony with her smarts, you’d think she’d be marked for something else. Really, that’s all I’m saying.”

“Sure, she’s smart, but she’s got these gaps, too. It’s like she’s missing experiences of things everypony should have. Just this morning, she said she’d never seen Hearts and Hooves Day before,” said Lovelace, “and the first time I met her, I was buying a bouquet to send back to my parents for their anniversary, and she had no idea how many bits are in a gold bit. Lily Valley had to step in…” She stopped and hung her head. “Ugh! I’m being a horrible friend, gossiping about her like this, but it’s hard to bottle it all up when she raises so many questions! It’s just so, well, like you said earlier. I’ve got no idea what to make of her.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it. You’re just worried for her,” he said gently. “So, what we’ve got here is a filly who is absolutely brilliant at some things and excruciatingly bad at others. It’s a real mystery.”

“Star, I’m not out to solve a mystery,” said Lovelace. “Well, not entirely. I just want to make sure she’s okay.”

“I’ve got an idea,” said Star. “I still remember the way to the shack. Tonight, after work, why don’t you and I get there ahead of her, lie in wait, and see where she goes?”

“And what if I was right and she led you there on purpose?” Lovelace asked.

“Then I’ll look like an idiot,” said Star Hunter, and gave her a sly smile. “But if it works, maybe we can figure something out about her.”

“I don’t like the idea of spying on her,” Lovelace murmured, “but it’s not like we’re trying to dig up anything to use against her. All right, I’ll take off a little early so we can get a head-start. How about I meet you outside Sugar Cube Corner at, say, half-four?”

“I’ll be there,” he said. “Now, how about we finish lunch?”

XXX

The shack was a decomposing mess, slowly succumbing to the rigors of time and neglect. Compared to the rustic beauty that blanketed the rest of Ponyville, it was like staring at some alien monolith. Weeds and creeping vines wormed their way between crumbling bricks, deep enough that, were they so capable, they would rip the building asunder with a simple flex of their chlorophyllic muscles. The chimney had been reduced to a jagged stub. It looked just large enough to suit one particularly small pony, like a playhouse in a horror story. The only part of it that looked remotely new was the large, arch-shaped door stuck on one side. It was painted a deep shade of blue, almost the colour of sapphires, and had a brass plaque depicting the number 76 bolted to it. There was no handle or knocker that could be seen, and it was not cut into the customary top and bottom halves. The only window was located above the plaque, oval-shaped and fashioned from stained glass that curled like a snail shell.

Lovelace and Star Hunter hunkered behind some bushes and watched. Their legs were just starting to fall asleep when they saw Roseluck ambling up to the shack. She reached into the saddlebag on her right and withdrew a silver key, which she slid into a hole that they were sure had not been there seconds before. To their further astonishment, the key seemed to turn a full three-hundred-and-sixty degrees of its own accord. The door swung open, and out poured a brief flash of light from inside.

“Grandfather, I’m back,” Roseluck called as she went inside. There was no response. The door closed behind her, leaving no key, no hole, and no indication it had ever been tampered with.

“So what now?” whispered Lovelace.

“Well we know she’s in there now,” replied Star Hunter. “Let’s get a closer look at this grandfather of hers.”

“How do you expect to do that? The only window’s made of stained glass. Not the easiest to watch through.”

“Then we’ll take a closer listen instead,” said Star. He was already halfway across the road and making a beeline for the undergrowth.

Lovelace gulped. She was deeply regretting her decision. This felt really wrong, no matter how she tried to justify it to herself. Spying was spying. Still, she had come this far. She may as well see it through to the end. She started to follow after Star, when she heard another set of hoof-beats coming up the road. The exact direction they were coming from was difficult to pinpoint. She could feel her heart in her throat. Star Hunter’s ears stood on end over the top of the foliage. He had heard the sounds as well, and was now doing his best to stay hidden.

Apprehension was swiftly replaced by panic, and she dived into the bushes, then straight into Star Hunter, so they both landed in a tangled heap of legs and wings. They spent the next few moments  squirming like that, trying to stabilise themselves without marrying each other’s teeth or eyes to their hooves. Lovelace managed to extricate herself and staggered to her hooves, only to find her vision suddenly overwhelmed by the most piercing eyes she had ever seen. They were fierce and icy blue, bordering on grey, and she fell on her rump with a surprised cry.

The newcomer was a teal-coloured, elderly Earth pony, with a white tail and mane that was slicked back over his head and curled up at the end. He wore a white collar fastened by a black ribbon-tie in a broad knot. The mark on his flank resembled a golden hourglass. He stared at them – or perhaps it would be better to say through them – with a harsh, accusing scowl.

“What are you doing here? What do you want?” he demanded. His voice was low, hoarse. It made a sound like ice cracking.

Lovelace’s mouth opened and closed a few times in a rhythm that could only be described as ‘goldfishing.’ It was Star Hunter who spoke first, “We’re looking for a young filly. A friend of ours. We saw her go into that shack there.”

“Really, in there? Are you sure?” said the old pony in a dismissive tone.

“Yes! We saw her from across the road,” said Star Hunter.

“You must have imagined it,” said the old pony.

“Did not!”

“Young pony, is it reasonable to suppose that anypony would be inside a cupboard like that?”

Lovelace found her voice then. “We’ve been worried about her recently. We wanted to make sure everything was all right at home, so we…we…”

“Decided to spy on her,” the old pony finished haughtily. “Anyway, I saw nopony. I suggest you leave before you make even bigger foals of yourselves.”

“We’re not leaving until we’re satisfied she isn’t here,” said Star Hunter, sounding agitated, “and frankly I don’t like your attitude!”

“Yours leaves much to be desired,” the old pony shot back. “From what you’ve told me I think you’re being exceedingly high-hoofed. You say you spied on a young filly without her knowledge and weren’t seen in spite of all the noise you’ve just kicked up, you imagine you saw her enter here, you believe she might be inside. It’s not very substantial, is it?”

Star Hunter breezed past him and started rapping on the door. “Roseluck? Roseluck, are you in there? It’s Star Hunter and Lovelace!”

The door suddenly fell open, and Roseluck’s voice called out, “What are you doing out there?”

“Close the door!” the old pony cried, but before he could do anything to stop them, Star Hunter had darted inside, with Lovelace following close behind. Neither of them could guess what awaited them on the other side, but nothing they could imagine could encompass what they saw next. There was Roseluck, wide-eyed in amazement, and all about her was another world. It was the last time they would see Ponyville, and the Equestria they thought they knew.